A beneficiary of the project receives health services at Al-Qamishli National Hospital. Photo credit: WHO/WHO Syria
16 July 2024, Syria – WHO proudly announces the official handover of key units in Al- Qamishli National Hospital, north-east Syria, to the Ministry of Health. This follows their rehabilitation as part of the Project for Strengthening Health Care Services. This initiative, supported by the people of Japan, aims to improve the resilience and sustainability of health facilities in Syria.
During the one-year rehabilitation project, the main focus was to rehabilitate the burns care, intensive care, emergency, dialysis, and medical imaging units of Al-Qamishli National Hospital. Outdated medical equipment was also upgraded to better serve the community.
Amid a deepening health crisis in the region, the reopening of the units marks an important milestone in delivering essential medical assistance to the community. Local people have been increasingly affected by the ongoing crisis and the lack of access to health care.
Al-Qamishli National Hospital is one of 16 public hospitals in north-east Syria, most of which are either partially functional or out of service. The two-storey complex has a 200-bed capacity and functions as the main referral hospital in the area. Overburdened since the start of the crisis in Syria, it required major rehabilitation. Prior to the project, the hospital served an estimated 200 000 patients a year. This number is expected to increase following the improvements.
As Dr Iman Shankiti, WHO Representative to Syria, thanked the people of Japan for their partnership and highlighted the project’s broader impact on north-east Syria’s health system: “This project represents a major achievement in our ongoing efforts to improve access to advanced medical care services, particularly in underserved areas. We will be able to provide better health services and improve the lives of thousands in north-east Syria.”
Mr Adam Abdelmoula, United Nations Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator for Syria, echoed her sentiments and added, “It is imperative that the services in this hospital are made accessible to all people living in Al-Hassakeh governorate and the surrounding areas.”
The relaunch of Al-Qamishli National Hospital comes at a critical time. The health system in north-east Syria must contend with significant challenges, including instability, leading to shortages of medical supplies, health workers and functional infrastructure.
Through the project, various items of medical equipment were procured and distributed to the hospital to improve its diagnostic capabilities. This equipment includes a computed tomography (CT) scanner, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machine, colour Doppler ultrasound scanner cardiac diagnostic machine, C-arm machine, X-ray unit for the operating theatre and a mobile digital radiographic X-ray unit.
Further, the fully renovated dialysis unit now features 6 new dialysis machines and a water treatment station. Moreover, the hospital’s 3 laboratories – for the emergency department and outpatient clinics, and the central laboratory – have received new equipment to enhance diagnostic services.
